Cernuella virgata
Cernuella virgata, also known as Helicella virgata, common name, the "vineyard snail", is a species of small, air-breathing land snail, a pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Geomitridae.
This species of snail makes and uses love darts.
Shell description
The shell is from 6 to 19 mm in height and 8 to 25 mm in width.
The coloration of the shell is quite variable, but there is often a creamy-white background, with a variable number of pale to darker brown markings. Some shells are banded at the periphery and on the underside.
Technical description
For terms see gastropod shell
The 15 x 12–23 mm. shell has 4.5–5.5 convex whorls. The last whorl is initially angulated or rounded. The aperture is rounded with a whitish or reddish lip inside and margin is not reflected, The umbilicus is always open, 1/10-1/6 of shell diameter and sometimes slightly excentric. The colour of the periostracum is whitish or yellowish, sometimes with red hue and usually with two brown colour bands on the upper side and 3–4 narrower bands on the lower side, initially finely ribbed, weakly striated at lower whorls.
Distribution
This snail is endemic to Mediterranean and Western Europe, including the British Isles. This species has been recovered from the Roman occupation of Volubilis, an archaeological site in present-day Morocco.
Cernuella virgata is an invasive species and an agricultural pest in parts of Australia, where it arrived around 1920. In Australia it is known as the "common white snail".
Another land snail which is present as an invasive in Australia, and which is sometimes confused with C. virgata is the species Theba pisana. It is somewhat similar in appearance, and lives under similar circumstances. Theba pisana is however a larger species with a more inflated shell, lower spire and a nearly covered umbilicus.
Comparison between shells of C. virgata and T. pisana:
Behavior and human relevance
This species aestivates after climbing to the top of vegetation. This habit is problematic for farmers engaged in crop harvesting, because numerous snails are collected along with the crop.
Life cycle
The size of the egg is 1.5 mm.
Parasites
This species is an intermediate host for the terrestrial trematode parasite Brachylaima cribbi.
Gastronomy
Cernuella virgata, with T. pisana, is consumed in Spain as a "tapa" in the bars, especially in Andalusia, where snails are known as "Chichos" snails.
Synonyms
Cernuella virgata · alternate representationCochlea virgata Da Costa, 1778 · Helicella lineata · Helicella jentteri Lindholm, 1926 ·Helicella neglecta M. R. Alonso, 1975 · Helicella submeridionalis M. R. Alonso, 1975 · Helicella virgata · Helix lauta R. T. Lowe, 1831 · Helix amblia Westerlund, 1893 · Helix lineata Olivi, 1792 · Helix aglaometa J. Mabille, 1882 · Helix alluvionum Servain, 1880 · Helix aradasii Pirajno, 1842 · Helix blasi Servain, 1880 · Helix canovasiana Servain, 1880 · Helix castroiana Servain, 1880 · Helix edetanorum Servain, 1880 · Helix finitimus Locard, 1899 · Helix grannonensis Bourguignat in Servain, 1880 · Helix hamilcaris Kobelt, 1877 · Helix lineata Olivi, 1792Helix lululenta Locard, 1899 · Helix luteata L. Pfeiffer, 1857 · Helix luteola var. minor Servain, 1880 · Helix mendranoi Servain, 1880 · Helix parva L. Pfeiffer, 1848 · Helix phryganophila J. Mabille, 1882 · Helix rufolabris L. Pfeiffer, 1856 · Helix solanoi Servain, 1880 · Helix subluteata Servain, 1880 · Helix tergestina Rossmässler, 1837 · Helix terrosa Locard, 1899 · Helix uberta Locard, 1899 · Helix virgata · Helix virgata var. alba J. W. Taylor, 1883 · Helix virgata var. leucozona J. W. Taylor, 1883 · Helix virgata var. major J. W. Taylor, 1883 · Helix virgata var. minor J. W. Taylor, 1883 · Helix xalonica Servain, 1880 · Xerophila virgata Xerophila virgata croatiae Kormos, 1906 ·